Disturb Not The Beast
by Kat Warrior1
Summary: A couple of years after the ARK incident, the Spriggan are sent out to obtain a dangerous artifact before the enemy does. But the artifact's home is a mysterious and potentially dangerous one, and may even itself be alive. Non-yaoi. FINISHED 08/08/08
1. Market

Disturb Not The Beast - A Spriggan Fanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt

Note: Tia is not an original character. She is from the manga - a British Spriggan and trained wizard. You can look her up on Wikipedia under the Spriggan article.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Chapter One: Market-Place

At some point Tia had grown used to the dull hum that the multitude of voices made. Vendors shouting to passers-by, children darting between legs and chattering in their play, and women gossiping amongst themselves all contributed to this murmur that was unique to compact streets of the market-place. True, it was hot in Mexico, but surprisingly enough the ocean of bodies didn't add too much to the heat that made her ebony curled hair stick to her forehead and neck. This was fortunate, as increased temperature would have only increased Tia's annoyance as well.

It wasn't enough that she was a foreign woman making her way through the market alone, or that she was sweating more than she cared to be with her hair was frizzing far more than usual. No, on top of that the vendor she'd found herself bargaining with was stubborn and not entirely honest. She had to admit, however, that it was fortunate that she hadn't brought Yu or Jean with her. It was likely that at least the Japanese Spriggan would lose his patience and cause a scene. That was the last thing she needed.

"I'll give you a good bargain, Senorita," the man assured her behind a spotty-toothed grin. "Three necklaces-"

"No necklaces," she repeated, minding her thinning temper. "I want something far more valuable, and my sources tell me that you know where to find it."

"Ah, but did they tell you how much my information costs?"

Cost. It was all about cost wasn't it? Well, it was time for her to be setting the price. She didn't have any more time to waste.

"Did I tell you that I have a mobile phone and with the push of only a few buttons the police can be down here investigating your stand?"

At this he was silenced. His eyes actually widened.

"Don't think I can't smell the illegal drugs. Tell me, are they hidden in the clothes? The pottery?"

"Ah, so you _are_ good at bargaining, Senorita." The smile returned, this time a bit nervous. He called something over his shoulder, and a scrawny young man showed up. After they discussed things briefly, Tia realized that the vendor was leaving his 'friend' to watch his shop. "This way, Senorita," he told her, and then ducked into an alley. After a deep breath, Tia followed.

Stray dogs and cats darted out of their path as the two stepped into a narrow alley. A rank smell was beginning to drift into her nose as they stopped at a doorway. Tia caught a glimpse of a dead animal not far off. She did her best to ignore it and followed the vendor through the blanket that served as the "door". A familiar 'click' filled the dark room and a bare light bulb flickered on. Cockroaches and other insects - perhaps a couple of lizards - scattered. Tia paid them little mind. Her eyes were curiously searching the dust-blanketed shelves, her brow furrowing against the meager light. They mostly contained maps.

"So, you want one of these, yes?" the vendor asked, his back to her. "Where do you plan to go?"

"I'm not going," she answered casually.

He turned to look at her, his dark face holding a perplexed expression. "You collect maps, Senorita?"

"Someone else is." Tia smiled, trying to be pleasant. "The Jungle Temple on Cráneo - do you have that one?"

"Yes, yes," he assured her. He moved immediately to a shelf that seemed to have more dust than all the others combined. "Here," he said at last, holding it up. He even went was far as to unfurl it, allowing her to see that it was, in fact the one she wanted.

Tia caught herself before she grabbed at it. _'Don't let him think you're desperate,' _she reminded herself. "What's your price?" she wanted to know. There was no way this item was coming to her free, or cheap. Her seller opened his mouth to begin the bargaining when a sound and sight frustratingly familiar to Tia interrupted him.

A barrage of bullets broke through the room's stillness, making short work of the blankets in the windows and the items in the room. Unfortunately, one of those items was the vendor. She'd tried to grab him and pull him to safety, but even as she grabbed him his body convulsed with the impact of the bullets. He collapsed in a heap beside her, dropping the map in his own blood.

"I'm sorry," Tia whispered, wincing. It felt so wrong... so cheap to just take the map, but she couldn't very well pay him now. All the same, she pulled a wad of pesos from her pocket and placed it in his. Perhaps if he had a family, it could help them. From there she drew a deep breath. Yes, whoever had been firing was still out there. The sound of boots on dirt let her know that they were approaching. It seemed that it was time to put her own special "weapon" to use.

Letting her senses and heightened abilities guide her, Tia darted out of the room, meeting the determined gaze of five men. There was an awkward silence as the soldiers no doubt tried to understand why Tia had no gun.

"Well?" Tia asked, "Are you afraid to shoot a woman?"

That was really all the prompting they needed. Rather than running from or dodging the curtain of bullets, the British Spriggan waved her slender hand through the air. Using what Merlin had taught her, she briefly toyed with time and space. The bullets were consumed, seemingly by the air itself. Before the soldiers could fire a second round, their ammunition returned to them and destroyed their own bodies. All but one. The youngest looking of the soldiers was wounded in Tia's return-fire, but she knew he could pull through. ARCAM had questions for him.

"I need some clean-up at my current location - one civilian and five enemies. Also... mission successful."


	2. Breifing Room

Disturb Not The Beast - A Spriggan Fanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Note: Adam Richards is an OC. He was created through the combined efforts of myself and a friend.

Most characters and Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Chapter Two: Briefing Room

For a briefing room, it was rather under-occupied. Only five people were seated around the massive, black table. Each of their faces was reflected in the pristine ebony surface. The surrounding room wasn't much brighter than the table's color, as the room's main source of light came from the projector. The large, white screen displayed the fruit of Tia's labors - the crinkled, tanned map.

Yamamoto was holding the briefing, the light of the projector reflecting off his balding head much like everyone's reflections off the table. There were two steady, thin streams of smoke wafting about the room - one from Yamamoto's ash tray and one from the lit cigarette in Adam Richards' mouth. The smoke, however, was more of a smell than a sight.

Yu Ominae was accustomed to it. He spent quite a bit of time in Yamamoto's office in Japan, which almost always smelled of the nicotine-producing sticks. He was able to ignore it. As he listened to the middle-aged Japanese man, his dark-skinned fingers fiddled with a pen. He was supposed to be taking notes.

Jean Jacques-Monde wasn't reacting visibly, aside from his nose wrinkling occasionally. Perhaps it was a bit vain of him, but he wasn't keen on the scent of the smoke being embedded in his hair for the next day or two. Yet it was a minor distraction. HIs pale, slender hand was occupied scribbling notes down on his paper, though his eyes didn't fall on it once.

Tia Flatt noticed the rank smell, but paid it no mind. She didn't take notes, either. The up-coming mission was not one she would be partaking in, as she'd told the Mexican vendor. However, as the one who had retrieved the map and been researching for the mission, she would be needed to give the other three Spriggan information, both of her own finding and that which her captive had relayed to her.

Adam Richards, as one of those producing the smoke, naturally wasn't bothered. In fact, the secondary source added a bit of extra flavor to his own cigarette. He was quite literally "kicked back", his swiveling chair titled as far back as it could be without toppling and his dress shoe-clad feet rested crossed on the table. The shoes also caught his reflection, having been freshly polished. His notepad and pen were untouched. The British Spriggan had seen Jean cast him a glance, but had ignored him.

"Our research team has concluded that the map's location is in South America," Yamamoto informed those who didn't already know. "It's a small island off the coast of Peru. One of our jets will be transporting you to the capitol, Lima. From there you are to take a small boat to the island and follow the map to the temple, which seems to be located at its center. The island's name is Cráneo."

"What's that mean?" Yu asked before Yamamoto could continue.

"Skull," Jean answered quietly, his hand momentarily ceasing in its motions of writing.

"Creepy," Adam commented casually, taking a second to knock some of the cinders from his cigarette before placing it between his thin lips again. "Why did we need an old map to the temple? Hasn't anyone else discovered it?" He scratched casually at the small amount of facial hair collected on his chin.

"Many have tried," Tia answered him, rising gracefully from her seat. It slid easily over the clean floor. She made her way to the projector as Yamamoto took his own chair. "The locals try to discourage anyone from visiting it. The island itself is more often than not shrouded in fog. Most who have gone to Cráneo have not returned. Those who do are either already dead or insane. Some of those killed themselves after. There is record of one person returning alive and unharmed, but he refused to speak of his travels."

"What are we looking for?" Jean wanted to know. He wasn't a fan of trivial details. The sooner they knew the important things, the sooner they could leave. Asking how ARCAM even knew about it crossed his mind, but he concluded that it didn't matter. It would have little effect on them actually finding whatever it was.

"This..." the female Spriggan replied, trading out the projection of the map for one of an ancient drawing. It appeared to be a statue of a dog - a dog with many grotesque, ape-like features, but a dog nonetheless. "According to the inscriptions on a stone we found on the coast, it's said to be able to call or control animals." She paused and glanced at her watch. "You'll each be receiving a mission detail folder that will answer any of your other questions. You're dismissed to prepare for your mission."

--

"That's the third one you've had since we left head quarters," Yu noted as Adam lit another cigarette. An amused smirk tugged at the Japanese Spriggan's lips. "You're not afraid of flying, are you?"

"I can't smoke on the jet," Adam mumbled as he flicked desperately at the lighter, "and the flight is non-stop." At last the flame leaped out and met with the cigarette's tip. The British Spriggan took a long drag and sighed.

"Thank God..." Jean mumbled from the driver's seat. "Yu, look at the file. Do we know who attacked Tia yet?" He was pulling into the ARCAM airport's parking-lot.

"The US Machine Corp," he answered, amused. "I guess they didn't get enough of an ass-kicking last time. I can't wait to see what kind of cyborgs they throw at us this round." But Yu didn't have any more jokes to make after that. What he truly hoped was that ARCAM's old enemies wouldn't implement another child into their plans. He didn't know if he could go through with a repeat of McDougal.

--

"They just came out of the airport - one Asian and two Europeans," the Machine Corp agent murmured into the headset, lips scarcely moving. "The Asian and the blond were both at the Noah's ark site. I've never seen the dark-haired European before."

"He may or may not be a Spriggan," the voice of the woman on the other line warned. "All units should approach the targets assuming that he is."

--

As Jean directed their jeep towards the harbor, he glanced in the mirror to allow himself a peek not only at the traffic behind him, but at the passenger in the back seat. Yu looked anxious - he was continually glancing out the side windows as well as the one in the back. Adam had seemingly noticed this behavior as well - his hand was tucked into his jacket, no doubt resting on his socom handgun. Jean wouldn't be able to open fire if necessary - they would be relying on his reflexes in driving.

"Are we being followed?" he asked the Japanese Spriggan.

"Not followed - tracked," Ominae replied. "There's no car consistently behind us, but every time we pass an intersection there's someone looking at us and using a CB-radio. None of them are locals, either - all Americans."

"Detour?" Adam asked as Jean took a turn left, deliberately avoiding the turn that lead to the shoreline. Jean grunted an affirmative as he continued. A glance at the side-mirror revealed a perplexed American man shouting into his radio. He smirked triumphantly and then relayed his last-minute plan to the other two.

"We'll park in an alley and wait." He slowed his pace, making certain that their car could be tracked. Jean didn't want to run into fight in a public area like the harbor, thereby risking the lives of citizens. It was different from many other missions - this was not a military base where they expected trouble and the only ones at risk were soldiers. One citizen life had already been lost in Mexico. On top of that, perhaps they could take out enough enemies for the Machine Corps to lose track of them completely.

The camo-green jeep came to an easy stop in the back of a long alley-way. The shade cast by the tall buildings prevented the sun from glaring in their eyes, and made the air cooler. Only seconds after Jean de-activated the ignition, there was a sharp "plunk" on top of the car. Yu, Adam, and Jean didn't even exchange glances. They grabbed their weapons and rolled out of the vehicle. Only seconds after, an explosion was sending pieces of the Jeep flying in all directions.


	3. City

Disturb Not The Beast - A Spriggan Fanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Most characters and Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Chapter Three: City

Yu didn't know if he'd been hit with debris. He didn't have time to look. As the smoke cleared he ducked into what he hoped was an abandoned doorway. Two figures were moving away from the car - they had to be Jean and Adam. Others were moving down the alley towards them. Yu thanked his sharp vision and started firing his colt M1911A1 before the enemies could even see. Men shouted in pain as the figures fell. Yu's sense of triumph didn't last long, however. The smoke had nearly settled and the enemy soldiers were starting to fire randomly into the alley. He ducked back into his hiding place to re-load.

It was surprising, but Adam was glad that he'd left his Desert Eagle handgun back in Europe. Unlike the socom, it lacked a silencer. At least this weapon would gain less attention. Granted, the car blowing up had doubtlessly been heard rather far and wide. So far he hadn't heard any sirens headed their way, but he figured it wouldn't be long. The smoke had cleared enough that he could see Jean when he chanced a glance to his left. But where was Yu? Fine, no doubt. Adam fired rapidly, hoping that he'd be able to hear any sirens over the roar of the shoot-out.

ARCAM was going to have wonderful time of explaining this one to the local authorities. Yet Jean couldn't worry about that then. His sole focus was planting buckshot in the advancing men who had thought they could over-power three Spriggan agents. Idiots. As he shot down another soldier, something occurred to him. The Machine Corps had done this before. They knew the Spriggan couldn't be trifled with. Slumping safely behind the impenetrable, dislodged door of the jeep, Jean scanned the roof-tops. A small, shining object caught his eye - a sniper scope. It was a trap.

"Sniper!" he warned.

Adam had heard his cry alerting his comrades to the gunman perched atop a nearby building. The younger Spriggan rolled from his location just in time to avoid hot lead penetrating his skull. Yet as Jean fired into the threatening scope, a muffled grunt came from the young Brit. While the bullet had missed Adam's head, it had made itself a home in his left shoulder. True to his trained, soldier nature, however, he continued firing into the thinning amount of enemies advancing down the alley.

At last the weapons still, leaving forms heaped on the alley's dirt carpet.

"Who's alive?" Jean called. He allowed his mind to join his body's relaxed state when Adam stood shakily and Yu emerged from a nearby doorway, his weapon still smoking. All were accounted for. On his way over, Yu had grabbed the only object to survive the jeep's grenade-induced dismemberment. It was an impenetrable black case containing ammo and, tools, and a first-aid kit. ARCAM thought of everything.

"We need another car and a make-shift operating room," Yu pointed out, indicating Adam. The British Spriggan grumbled as he carefully removed his ruined suit-jacket. They also needed to vanish. Lazy-sounding sirens were splitting into the dense city air and nearing the battle-scene.

--

The clerk at the convenience store seemed pleased that the three foreigners bought so many bottles of water and other miscellaneous items. Jean and Adam shuffled into the men's bathroom. Jean had loaned Adam his own jacket to cover the blood that smeared his shirt. Yu took on the task of hunting down another vehicle.

Considering the dingy state of the facilities, it was impressive that the restroom door even locked. Dirt and other mysterious smears were painted on the fading yellow walls. Even the light in the room was dirty, as the bulb produced a rather dim glow. It not for Jean's heightened Spriggan senses, the task ahead would have been impossible.

Adam slumped readily against the filthy wall and downed one of the bottles' contents in a single, elongated gulp. There was no speaking, but his cringing scowl said plenty about his displeasure over the situation. He noted that, as usual, the Frenchman's face revealed little. Already Jean was prying at the stuck bullet with a utility knife that had been in the "magical" black case. The pain gnawed viciously at Adam's shoulder, but he clamped his jaw and contained his sounds of extreme discomfort.

--

Yu knew that his "Car hunt" wouldn't be too successful if he tried to buy one. He didn't have time to bargain with a seedy salesman or fill out paperwork. ARCAM would have to come to his rescue - hopefully before the Machine Corp found them again. He'd purchased a wide-rimmed hat in the convenience store to hide his very Japanese facial features and kept his gaze downcast as he spoke to the nearest Head Quarters on his mobile phone. An agent would be meeting him two blocks down with another car.

As Yu trudged along, he cursed the Machine Corp for all it was worth. Their lack of concern for human life was almost enough to make him sick. They used and mutated children to achieve their goals, and pointlessly sacrificed the lives of their own men only to distract their enemies long enough for a single sniper to try wiping them out. He wondered how it was that the US government had yet to learn of their existence and put an end to it. Adam's new wife was American. Maybe she could help...

"You should be more attentive."

Tia was waiting for him, resting against the corner of a stone building. A smaller, less militaristic vehicle than the one they had lost was parked in the alley behind her. Yu considered a snappy come-back, but chose to forgo that. They needed the car.

"So, the other one blew up. That explains the sirens. Where was it?"

Yu did a rushed job of relaying the facts to the female Spriggan. With a quick assurance that it would be cleaned up, she tossed him the keys. Yu wrinkled his nose at the rather "unmanly", rounded body of the Ford Focus, and then tore off to where he'd left Jean and Adam. A quick glance in the rear-view mirror revealed that Tia had already teleported away.

--

"Souvenir?" Jean teased, holding up the blood-coated bullet. With a snort Adam snatched it from his hand and tossed it into the toilet.

"You bought another shirt, right?" Adam wanted to know as he wadded his up. Thankfully, his tie had been spared the inconvenience of a blood-stain. Jean tossed him a plain, white t-shirt. Adam would have preferred something that wouldn't look so odd with his slacks, but he wasn't about to complain.

"It was the only thing without a tourist logo," Jean explained as he cleaned the knife off in the sink. The bathroom would probably be cleaner when they left than when they had entered.

Once the evidence of their presence was gone, the two Europeans exited the bathroom with the clerk giving them a very odd look. He said nothing, however, and bid them a grateful farewell. They re-entered the heat-smothered street as Yu was pulling up.

"I'm going to let you both kick my ass if the Machine Corps beats us there," Adam grumbled before they took off again.


	4. Jungle

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

Chapter Four: Jungle

Thanks to ARCAM scheduling for them to arrive in the early morning, the three Spriggan reached the island around noon. Or at least that was when their small motor boat penetrated the curtain of fog surrounding it. The scent of salt and fish was almost as thick on the air as the fog.

"Just like home," Adam mumbled as they drifted into the dense, gray air. Jean had shut off the motor to avoid drawing attention from potential enemies, or running into anything at a high speed.

"Any idea how thick this crap is?" Yu asked as he pointed the search light in various directions. All the beam revealed was water and more fog.

"Non," Jean answered him from behind the boat's steering wheel. "I doubt the density is consistent, anyway." He glanced at the dash board. "We're still on-course, so if the map's right we'll be hitting a beach instead of rocks. The radar's picking something up."

"Land, I hope," Adam sighed. As Yu was about to comment, the soft hissing of sand under the bow wafted into the air until they came to a full stop. The fog began to fade and a lush rain forest greeted them at the inward edge of the shore.

Though Yu should have helped the others unload the boat, he couldn't resist pausing to gawk at the sight. He'd been in various jungles and tropical areas before, so the towering trees, invasive underbrush, and vibrant greens were truly nothing new to him. Despite that, something managed to draw him in - invite him, even, to wander among the trees. As he watched it looked as though the forest shifted - sighed in contentment.

"Yu."

Embarrassed, the Japanese teenager realized that Jean had been speaking to him. He half-expected the Frenchman to lecture, but when Yu looked to his side, both his comrades were standing motionless in the sand, much like he had. Adam had a look of surprised and curiosity on his stubble-dotted face. Even the ever-stoic Jean had his brow lifted in wonderment. Was the jungle happy to see them? Had it been waiting for them?

It was Jean who disrupted the stillness. Adjusting his gun's sling on his shoulder, he took a step towards the greenery. He stepped lightly, leaving the shallowest of prints in the sand behind him. Without even so much as a glance at each other, the other two began to follow. The boat was secured and hidden. There was nothing to hold them back from the forest's invitation.

--

Though the three Spriggan were equipped with machetes to help them through the foliage, they were all hesitant to use them. Their surroundings were so peaceful. The exotic birds and other creatures made noises that contained no threat. The lush plants and flowers released relaxing scents into the humid air. Even though the heat caused them all the sweat and their hair to stick to their faces and necks in some degree, there was a mutual feeling of respect among them. It seemed that the jungle appreciated it. Occasionally the trees and bushes would appear to shift in their favor. It was eerie, and somehow inviting.

After a few minutes of pushing through the greenery without the use of their blades, Jean realized a path was starting to reveal itself before them. He was in the lead of the short line, and therefore was the first to notice that the ground ahead was becoming easier to see, and that there was in fact a beaten pathway hidden under the lowest levels of the forest plants. But that wasn't all the French Spriggan noticed.

The roots, leaves, and branches looked as though they were pulling back from the path. There was no wind to cause the shift, and the nature of their motions indicated that no animal was the cause. Absurd as it was, Jean wondered if the island was not only ushering them in, but planning to trap them there. Perhaps the rain forest was haunted. He didn't scoff at himself for these thoughts for long. After all, he'd seen and experience elements far more bizarre during his years with ARCAM. Completely alert though he was, Jean could detect no hostility on the air. Even the animals seemed lazy and unafraid as they moved away from the incoming soldiers.

"Are we still on course?" Jean asked over his shoulder.

"Roger," Adam mumbled, his head bent to view the map and compass expertly balanced in his hands. "Still going steadily west." He was surprisingly calm considering that he hadn't smoked since they stepped foot on the island.

The French Spriggan looked past Adam to Yu. The Japanese Spriggan was alert, but his eyes were still wide with wonder and eagerness. It seemed that the jungle was still captivating to him. It wasn't that Jean had grown bored with it - far from it. But Yu seemed the most impressed of the three of them.

When Jean came to an abrupt stop, Adam collided with his back. It wasn't enough, however, to knock either Spriggan down. Rather than cuss Jean out for stopping so suddenly, Adam folded the map with impressive speed and slipped both it and the compass into his pack. Yu had stopped, too. Adam focused on his surroundings, trying to detect what had put his comrades on-edge.

"I wonder how long they've been watching us," Yu murmured.

"Not long," Jean answered, equally quiet. "There's not many. Sounds like they're bare-foot. No firearms."

"Whoever made the map didn't care to mention natives," Adam sighed. "No weapons for us, then."

Silence from the other two was their agreement. They couldn't risk any natives thinking that the Spriggan were hostile.

Truly, they meant them no harm. As far as Yu was concerned, they were there to protect them from the Machine Corp. The enemy had little respect for human life, and there was no reason for their view of the island's natives to be any different.

"It looks like there's a small clearing up ahead," Jean commented. "We'll go there and wait for them to come to us." Jean knew they were in someone else's home, and needed to treat their hosts with as much respect as they could. That would make their mission a whole lot easier.

--

The grass in the clearing was tall, but partially flattened. Animals or humans had been there recently. The three men let their packs and weapons drop to the ground, but did not let their guard slacken. There was more rustling - very subtle. Any normal human would not have heard it. Their pursuers were moving more quickly. This continued until the bushes ahead rustled, and a young, dark-skinned child stepped into the sunlight.


	5. Village

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Chapter Five: Village

For all they were prepared to meet with, neither Yu nor Jean, nor Adam had expected a young boy to step forward and tilt his black-haired head at them curiously. His ebony eyes were curious, but unafraid, just like the island's animals had been. And then his bright, pearly teeth were revealed as his round face sprang into a smile.

It was Adam who began to step forward, but Jean's quick reflexes stopped him. He took the British Spriggan's left arm, unintentionally tugging at his wounded shoulder. Adam grimaced, but stopped.

"It could be a trap," Jean reminded him in a whisper. Adam blushed. Kids were his weakness - he loved them. While he knew Jean was right, he couldn't help being drawn to the dark-skinned child.

The boy of course had heard their quiet conversation, regardless of whether or not he'd understood it. With a perplexed tilt of his head to the other side, he moved towards the three Spriggan. Adam knelt to meet him.

"Good," the boy declared as he reached them, pointing a chubby finger at Adam. His large eyes wandered between the three faces. "All good," he concluded, his smile returning.

To Yu it sounded like an announcement - like the child was informing others that the three newcomers were harmless. His dark eyes darted around the forest. Jean must have had the same thought, as he too was scoping their surroundings. As he gazed in the direction from which the child had come, he could see the shine of several sets of eyes, and dark limbs hidden amid the leaves.

Slowly they emerged, all of them men. Like the boy each of them had dark skin and black hair, but unlike him each man was clothed by some means. Most of them wore a loin cloth, but some had skins tied around their waists. Every man held a weapon, but like Jean, Yu, and Adam they were all at ease.

"You must speak some English," Adam noted calmly to the natives, "but how?" By now the child had convinced him to pick him up. He smiled as he looked at the others from his perch in the British man's arms.

One of the older men holding a spear took another step towards the bewildered ARCAM agents.

"Chief can tell you all," he informed them. "The island welcomes you, so you may come with us."

"Still think it's a trap?" Adam asked cheekily as he turned to Jean.

"Just follow them," the Frenchman answered with a good-natured shove.

--

The only means of lighting was the soft glow being emitted by numerous monitors and control panels that all centered around the large, liquid-filled chamber. These, besides the consistent hum of the generator were the only things releasing noise as well.

On the other side of the door, however, things were quite different.

"ARCAM is involved - how can you suggest this?!" one balding scientist demanded.

"He'll do fine," the young woman answered coolly. "He knows the Spriggan even better now. He's also stronger. Little Boy will be the ingredient that assures our success."

"The Machine Corp may have utmost confidence in you, Miss Falen, but I have yet to be impressed. Your updated Little Boy will do no better than the last time. When that happens, the board of directors will have no problem eliminating you." With a sneer the older scientist turned in a flurry of white coat and black tie and stomped down the hall. Dr Falen simple smirked and turned her icy blue eyes to do door.

"Little Boy will ensure our victory," she murmured. "Revenge is his incentive, after all."

--

Aside from the increased rustling of leaves and numerous feet padding against the dirt-covered ground, the walk to the see "Chief" was a quiet one. None of the native men spoke aside from a few murmurs, but Jean could hear Adam beside him, talking to his new friend. He'd asked the child his name (which Jean didn't quite catch), and told him his own.

It was fortunate that Adam knew how to handle children. Jean himself was not accustomed to them and Yu... He honestly didn't know if Yu had any skills with them at all. But Adam had once had a younger sister, and had mentioned wanting children of his own. It seemed that more than just his combat skills would be needed for this mission. He continued to converse with the child until the group stepped into neatly constructed wooden gate.

When they first stepped through, their vision was blocked by a flurry of exotic birds flapping in desperate annoyance to get out of their way. Their feathers held hues and colors that put the most vibrant rainbow to shame. Once the birds had cleared, however, an equally impressive sight met their eyes.

The ground had mostly been cleared of foliage, and centuries of treading feet had hardened the dirt into a brown pavement. A few huts were scattered at the bases of trees, fences surrounding them. Hoofed animals of various shapes and sizes rested lazily in the fences - obviously pets or farm animals. It was evidently in the trees themselves where the people made their dwellings. Homes of impressive engineering were nestled among the high branches and thick leaves. Some of them even had what looked like primitive elevators traveling between the "yards" surrounding the trees and the decks of the houses.

As they walked to the other end of the fenced-in village grounds, naked children ceased in their playing to inspect the three strangers. Eventually a small crowd had formed around Adam, and he occasionally tripped in his determination not to step on any of the small, bare feet. The boy in his arms, named Mino, had taken on a rather boastful grin. It seemed that he was proud to be the first to meet the three foreigners.

Their journey came to an end at the base of a massive tree. It put every other tree they had seen thus far to shame. The width was impressive, the height seemingly immeasurable. The hut affixed to the branches was a mansion in comparison to any of the other structures they had seen. As they entered the fences area surrounding the trunk, their "guides" stepped aside, allowing the three Spriggan access to the ladder that lead to the home above their heads.


	6. Elsewhere

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

Chapter Six: Elsewhere

Truthfully, he didn't look much different with his cloak and combat fatigues on. They did well at hiding the increased amount of cybernetics on Little Boy's improved body. His face, however, was another matter. A metal plate had been molded around the left half of his head, and his left eye had been replaced by a cybernetic one. As a result of the plating, only the right half of his head had any remaining hair. Dr. Falen grinned as her "creation" investigated his new weapons. He certainly looked more frightening, and would not be easily defeated.

"Where are the Spriggan?!" He finally demanded as he holstered his new guns.

"South America," Dr. Falen answered with an amused chuckle. Yes, enthusiasm. Perfect. "Our team is waiting for you before they head down there. You will be joining them shortly. We're counting on you to take the Spriggan out. No prisoners will be necessary."

Little Boy grinned, his new metal teeth gleaming in the light of the laboratory.

"That'll be fun."

--

The shift in the winds and the extra commotion of the birds spoke volumes to her. The island had visitors - welcome ones, the calm wind said. Her sisters must have sensed the same, as they alertly paced the steps of the temple, but it was not an unsettled alertness. Instead it was a curious, eager one. Guests had not come to the island in quite a while, and the last ones had not been friendly. Would these visitors come to the temple? She almost hoped so. There was a desire within her to seek them out, but she could not abandon her post. For generations the women in her family had guarded the temple and its stone inhabitant. She would not forsake her duty for a curious whim.

"Sister! The sky!"

She titled her dark-haired head back to see that the island's protective fog was growing darker. The gentle wind was growing fierce with distress. Different guests were coming, and they did not mean well.

--

The continuous buzz of the helicopter was just loud enough to dull his high-pitched giggling. A lump of fog was settled directly below, Cráneo island hidden somewhere within. But the island's stone treasure was not what drew laughter from Little Boy's thin neck. It was the eagerness to make the Spriggan - especially the French one - feel his pain from the ARK mission.

The moment the pilot confirmed that the radar was picking up something below, Little Boy jumped. He didn't bother with a parachute. Unlike his fleshy peers he had no need of one. The warm, South American air barely resisted his descent, and as he neared the island the fog seemed to scatter before him. Little Boy was vaguely aware of the sound of parachutes popping open above him. Trees revealed themselves and he prepared for impact. His heavy, metallic body snapped the largest branches as if they were only sticks. Protesting birds and other animals scolded him for taking a chunk out of their home. He laughed at them.

Above the points and clumps of the trees he could clearly see the stone point of his destination. If anyone actually guarded the temple and power within, they would have no chance against his superior body and weapons. He charged onward, not even waiting for the others to land.

--

Yu really hadn't known what to expect from the chief. Would he be ruthless? Unwelcoming? Senile? It turned out that none of those applied to him. He was an older man, calm and patient. His eyes held the wisdom of many years of life, and his wrinkled hand would stroke his beard occasionally while he was in thought. He listened carefully as Jean explained their purpose. When the Frenchman finished, Yu worried that the chief would be furious that they had come for the statue. Instead, he paused and nodded.

"For generations we have known that someone would take it away. We have just been waiting for someone that the island approved of. It seems that it has approved of you, as you will protect the statue far better than we are able to."

Jean offered him sincere thanks, and then Yu decided to present a question that had been on his mind since they'd met the boy, who's name turned out to be Mino.

"Chief, I've been wondering - how do you and your people speak English so well? Is it your native language?"

Jean gave him a warning look and Adam looked surprised, but the chief chuckled.

"It isn't," he admitted. "Long ago an American family came to the island. They stayed on as permanent residents and taught us the language. Since then, we have made sure to teach it to our children."

As they spoke, Mino had been sitting on Adam's lap. While his father explained the village's knowledge of English, he tensed. Adam noticed right away, as did the chief.

"Someone has come," the child murmured. "They mean harm, for us and the island."

For a moment, the three Spriggan stared at the child. How could he know?

"My son's instincts are never wrong," the chief assured them. "It was he who alerted us to your presence." He glanced out the wooden-framed window. The visible branches of the trees were waving and bending under a fierce wind. "The island is distressed."

Jean stood. "Though we are here to take the statue to safety, the well-being of your village is our first priority," he informed the chief. The Frenchman didn't notice the surprised looks his comrades were giving him, or if he did he chose to ignore them. "The ones attacking the island are here for the same item that we are. We will stop them."

Again, the chief gave his patient nod. "Go with my blessing."


	7. Temple

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

Chapter Seven: Temple

"So what was that all about?" Yu asked of Jean when the three of them were outside the fence that surrounded the village. "ARCAM set retrieving the statue as our objective - not preserving Cráneo or anyone on it." It was true, Yu wanted to protect the natives as well, and while he knew Jean wasn't heartless, he was surprised that ARCAM's 'poster boy' had altered the mission objective.

"If we succeed in what ARCAM assigned to us, but do no protect these people, we still ultimately fail. Our duty is to protect mankind, even those who are not known to the rest of the world." The French Spriggan paused in his strides, and the other two stopped as well.

Jean had noticed that Adam was growing increasingly agitated since they'd left the village. Even as Jean spoke to Yu, the British Spriggan pulled out a cigarette and nearly lit it up before looking up into the green canopy above and stopping himself. His eye twitched as he fumbled to put the cigarette and lighter away.

"You're worried about them," Jean pointed out. Adam released a tension-filled sigh and then nodded sheepishly. "Go back and keep an eye on things. Use your radio if anything happens. We'll do the same."

He didn't need to say anything more. Adam was already sprinting back to the village. Again, Yu was skeptical.

"Do you really think they're in danger?" he asked.

"The Machine Corp likely doesn't know about them," Jean answered. "But Adam won't be at ease until he knows that they are safe. We couldn't afford to have him distracted if he went with us, Spriggan or not."

Yu nodded as they continued walking. He couldn't really blame Adam for his concern. The thought of the Machine Corp bringing a massacre down on the villagers - especially the children - made him shudder. No wonder Jean called him a softy so often, even if he had admitted that it was an admirable quality...

--

While the jungle had seemed to welcome them before, it seemed to not only be doing that but ushering Jean and Yu onward. If it were possible for an island to be so, it could have been said that it was in a hurry for Jean and Yu to arrive at the temple. As the two moved through the foliage at an impressive pace, Yu made a mental note to ask the chief about Cráneo being 'alive'.

Jean and Yu covered the distance between the village and the temple in only minutes - a distance that would have taken a normal human many hours to walk.

Though Yu had seen many temples in his time with ARCAM, this one still impressed him. It was a pyramid, another structure he had seen many of. But just like the pyramids in any other location, it had its own signature details that made it different from all the others he had seen. The sides were almost entirely smooth, with steps leading up to one ledge where a door was located, and then another flight of stairs leading to the very top. The top was flat, but the point was supported by four pillars, creating a sort of gazebo at the pyramid's peak. One detail that did not impress him, however, was a smoking hole where the first-level's door should have been.

From their vantage point in the brush, the two Spriggan could see Machine Corp soldiers marching around the temple at it's base, the ledge, and the top. Yu looked to his side to see that Jean's jaw was clenched. How had the Machine Corp managed to arrive first? He looked back and counted the soldiers. Those on the outside were small in number, but how many were on the other side, or already inside the temple, tracking down and securing the stone dog? And who was leading them? Another frustrating detail was that they had hostages. Several strong-looking native women were scattered around the temple's ledge, all bound and some being carefully guarded. A cluster of spears was gathered near the gaping hole, likely the women's weapons.

Beside him, Jean was quietly and rapidly assembling a small sniper-rifle. "We won't be able to take many out before they come after us," he whispered. "So do your job well."

Yu considered replying with "I always do my job well!" but instead just nodded and pulled the rifle out of his bag. He'd get Jean back later.

Thanks to their Spriggan reflexes and sharp aim, Jean and Yu managed to take down fifteen soldiers between the two of them. Shouts were rising from those still standing, and some panicked return fire began to pelt the greenery around them. The captive women were looking around in confusion.

The soldiers had ceased firing and were headed towards them. Wordlessly they packed their rifles and darted away from their position.

"We'll split up," Jean murmured as they ran side-by-side. "I'll take the main entrance, you go around back and see if there's another. Contact me once you're inside. I'll do the same." Without allowing Yu so much as a nod in understanding, Jean fell back, leaving Yu to continue on to his own destination.

--

A cluster of soldiers had formed around the area where Jean and Yu had been hiding but, as Jean expected, others had emerged from the temple to replace them. They were more tense and alert, no doubt waiting for the slightest movement in the surrounding jungle. It was likely they would even waste ammo on a bird if it startled them.

With his shotgun slung over his back and a small automatic weapon in hand, Jean bolted up the front stairs. The enemy fire was easy enough to dodge, as was returning fire and increasing the body-count. In seconds Jean made his way into the temple entrance after pausing to free the captive women.

Once consumed by the thick darkness of the temple, Jean was grateful that only a handful of Spriggan had been sent on this mission rather than an entire ARCAM platoon. This factor greatly decreased the probability of him accidentally shooting one of his own. His vision may have been enhanced, but not to the point where he wanted his enemy to get close enough to see well before taking them out. He quickly contacted Yu before venturing onward.

Somehow the inside of the temple was rather sparse on soldiers. Had he and Yu managed to draw them all out? That seemed a little too convenient and highly unlikely. Keeping that in mind, Jean was cautious as he made his way through the narrow halls inside the temple. He sensed that the halls were spiraling downward, hopefully to the temple's core and therefore the stone idol.

As Jean traveled, a new thought crept into his mind, seemingly through some sort of back door at the base of his skull. What if this was a trap? What if the Machine Corp wanted to isolate him down there? After ducking behind a corner to subtly take down some enemy soldiers, Jean pressed on despite the nagging possibility of being trapped. Traps would not deter Jean Jacques-Mondo.

--

A plethora of bodies littered the steps behind him, and a group of confused young women was gathered before him. It had begun to rain, sending thinning droplets of enemy blood streaming down his face and clothing.

"Uh... hi..." Yu ventured, hoping that these women knew some English like the villagers had.

"You must be a comrade of the pale one," one of them women said, stepping forward. She was taller than the rest, and even had a few inches on Yu as well. "He has gone inside the temple."

"Yeah, he contacted me just a bit ago." Yu hadn't been concerned, but it was still relieving to know that Jean had accomplished part of their ultimate goal. "Are you ladies okay?"

"We are fine," the spokeswoman assured him. "But your friend may be in danger. The leader of your enemies - a man with gray skin - said something about him. He means him great harm."

Yu blinked, momentarily perplexed.

"Little Boy!" With curses streaming from his mouth, Yu bolted into the mighty stone structure, fumbling for his two-way radio.

He pressed buttons, all but screamed into the receiver, and tried every frequency possible. Jean did not answer. More severe swearing began shooting from Yu's mouth as he mentally crossed his fingers and hoped that it was only the stone structure itself interfering with their communication.


	8. Within

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

Chapter Eight: Within

The chief, honored that one of the newcomers had stayed to protect his people, had invited Adam to sit with him on the balcony of his hut. It was an amazing view, as from the home at the village's center Adam could fully take in what life was like for the people of the island. It had started to rain at some point, but over-hang surrounding the massive hut allowed them enjoy the warm air without being soaked.

"The people seem a bit restless," Adam noted as he watched the dark-skinned residents dart around quickly below. Most of them, from what he could see, wore expressions of agitation and concern.

"The Island is, too," the chief reminded him with a sage nod. "Sad, almost. The sky is crying."

Adam tried to quiet his nervous swallow. "Did... someone die?" He mentally prayed that it wasn't one of his comrades.

"I cannot say," the chief informed the British Spriggan.

"The island is cleansing itself," Mino declared from his seat in Adam's lap. "Blood was spilled. If the island was sad, the rain would be heavier."

Adam chose the route of optimism and took that to mean that his comrades were alive - that it was the enemies' blood the island was washing away. He couldn't deny a shred of curiosity with his forced relief.

"How can you tell?"

"Mino is very close to the island," the chief answered. "Children are born every so often who can read its actions. It's like they can feel the island's heartbeat. Mino is one such child." A wrinkled, aged hand stroked the boy's hair with proud affection. "It would seem, since he trusts you so much, that he can read people as well."

--

The further down Jean ventured, the less he needed his flashlight. Torches had been lit along the narrow halls, allowing the hieroglyphics on the walls and ceiling to come into view. Since his eyes were as sharp as his reflexes, Jean was able to briefly scan the ancient writings as he jogged onward. Many times he saw drawings resembling the one that Tia had shown in the briefing room.

Confident though he was in himself, Jean couldn't help but wonder something. Why in blazes hadn't Yu contacted him? Surely he was in the temple by now. He wasn't dead. A stubborn Spriggan like him would not be taken out by a handful of regular soldiers. It was more likely that his radio had been damaged, or that the temple itself was providing some interference.

Either way, Jean knew that he had made it in first. If soldiers were congregating at the entrances to kill them as they left, it was likely that Yu was aware and was doing something about it. Jean had more important concerns, like finding the center of the temple and therefore the idol.

He stopped when the hall gave way to a massive chamber. It was circular in shape with many other doors leading in or out. The ceiling was high, and beyond the reach of the lit torches evenly distributed around the room. At the center was an intricately carved pedestal. As Jean had hoped, the stone statue rested atop it.

Yet Jean did not take another step towards it. It couldn't be that easy. True, the island itself was practically living and had greeted them eagerly. That fact should have given him reason to believe that the temple could behave the same way. But Jean was skeptical. Perhaps the "missing" soldiers were down there with him, waiting in the darkness above or the other doorways.

As Jean considered his next move, bright colors on the floor caught his eye. He chanced a look down to see a sizable mosaic laid into the ground before him. The area was mostly occupied by the image of an animal that looked to be an otter with a turtle's shell. The animal was submerged in water, and the top of its shell breached the surface. On top of that were images of trees, people, and animals.

"That's the island," Jean concluded in a whisper. "It really is alive."

"Which is more than you will be soon, Spriggan."

Jean tensed and his eyes flashed around the room. A cloaked figure was stepping through the doorway directly across from him. The voice had been high-pitched, gravelly, and giddy, as well as chillingly familiar.

"Little Boy."

The following screech of laughter echoed off the walls and ceiling, making Jean's ears ache and his eye twitch involuntarily.

"Surprised, Spriggan?"

Yes, he was. But he feelings concerning seeing an old, supposedly dead enemy did not matter. In a fraction of a second Jean had drawn his shotgun. He did not hesitate to fire it repeatedly. His excellent reflexes allowed for him to cock the weapon and fire it as rapidly as if it were an automatic weapon. The sound was nearly deafening in the enclosed quarters, but each shot found its target. Little Boy fell.

But he didn't stay down. As Jean took a few cautious steps forward, the remodeled cyborg leaped up as though nothing had happened. He collided with Jean, slamming him into a wall with incredible force. Between his back making such violent contact with the stone and his shotgun being pressed flat against his chest, Jean grunted loudly. Any normal human would have been crushed with the impact, but the French Spriggan was able to regain his breath quickly and give Little Boy a mighty shove with his gun.

The cyborg leaped back, landing on his feet. As Jean stepped away from the wall he took a moment to notice the enhancements to Little Boy. The metal of his new body shone eerily in the fire of the torches. His laser-red eye flickered, and his metal-toothed mouth split into a grin.

"How do you like that, Spriggan?"

--

How did the Machine Corp do it? How had they managed to bring Little Boy back? Assuming that it was, in fact Little Boy down there waiting for Jean. Yu was well aware that another "man with gray skin" could be working for the enemy, but if this man had a personal agenda for Jean, then that increased the chances that it was, indeed, the cyborg from the ARK mission down there waiting for him.

If it _was_ Little Boy, and the US Machine Corp _had_ brought him back, then chances were also high that they had given him quite an upgrade. As much as Yu hated to admit it, their enemies weren't stupid. If they were going to send one of their cyborgs into another confrontation with ARCAM, they would make sure that this cyborg was more battle-efficient against a Spriggan. Though it was hard to fathom, Yu didn't expect that Jean could take on an updated cyborg alone. But maybe if Yu helped... if Jean let him help... they stood a chance.


	9. Core

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

Chapter Nine: Core

Thunder growled and echoed through the sky. Lightning followed not long after. Villagers ceased in their chores and rushed into their homes. The chief ushered Adam and Mino into the hut.

"What about the lightning?" Adam asked as the chief lit a lantern in the middle of the house. "Has it ever struck one of the huts?"

"Not for many years," the older man answered calmly. "When the other English-speakers came before they showed us how to make lightning rods. Besides, the Island controls its own weather. It will not hurt us."

Though Adam nodded agreeably it was mainly as a cover for his concern. While he couldn't argue that the land mass has practically welcomed his comrades and that Mino did have something special about him, he wasn't so sure an island could control its own weather. As much as he enjoyed storms back home, the British Spriggan was not too keen on being electrocuted while on a mission. He tried to let the knowledge of the lightning rods ease his mind.

"The island is warning us."

Mino had not spoken for a while, and this time there was fear in his young voice.

"They want to kill us."

This phrase finally put a look of unease on the chief's face.

"Who does, my child?"

"Strangers. Many strangers."

"The Machine Corp," Adam murmured. He began to gather his weapons. "Try to keep everyone indoors," he asked of the chief. "I'll stop them."

It was the chief's turn to be skeptical.

"Just you? Against many?"

"Mino isn't the only special one," Adam assured him with a smile. He said nothing further before jumping off the balcony of the hut, and then running into the forest after he landed.

--

The fact that Little Boy was proving to be a challenge didn't bother Jean nearly as much as the fact that the cyborg had yet to draw any of his own firearms. Jean had been frugal with his ammunition, firing only when he caught sight of what he perceived to be a weak point in his enemy's metal body. So far that strategy had proven worthless and he was beginning to run low on bullets and shells.

Little Boy's right eye - the one that was still flesh - seemed the best target, but of course the deranged cyborg wouldn't hold still long enough for Jean to shoot it. Jean opted to use the one weapon he had that was faster than any bullet - his own body. Stashing his firearms, Jean charged forward.

"Finally you make things interesting, Spriggan!"

Jean's boot connected with the side of Little Boy's head. There was a loud thumping sound, and neither the cyborg's head nor Jean's leg moved further aside from an initial jolt. Jean's face contorted into a slight grimace, and Little Boy's split into a malicious grin.

"Break a few toes, Spriggan?"

A powerful metal hand seized Jean's ankle and then flung him at the wall. The French Spriggan managed to correct his body's position just before he came in contact with the smooth stone. Jean landed against the formed rock in a crouch, and the grimace returned as a good deal of weight was forced upon his damaged foot. He pushed the intense throbbing aside mentally in the milliseconds that it took him to launch off the wall and towards his psychotic opponent.

This time Jean managed to deliver a blow that mattered. His uninjured heel connected with Little Boy's nose. A sick cracking followed, along with an enraged and pained shriek.

Jean landed, his breathing not quite heavy enough to be panting. Yet he wasn't about to waste any time while Little Boy held his blood-gushing nose. At least some parts of him were still vulnerable, and Jean was determined to find out what the other parts were. No doubt they were not vital points, but it was still worth trying.

Again Jean darted towards his enemy, connecting with his shoulder and then plowing the cyborg into one of the walls. A satisfying crunch resulted, though Jean didn't know if it was Little Boy's body or just the stone cracking.

Jean took a leap backwards to dodge any potential rebuttal attack from his enemy, but moved a moment too late. Cold metal fingers encircled his neck. The sound of cybernetic joints shifting and pebbles falling reached his ears before the room moved around him in a blur. Stone made swift, harsh contact with the entire front of his body. Pain throbbed through him, primarily at his forehead. Warm moisture was trickling down the side of his face. Jean forced himself to focus past that throbbing and conclude that he was on the floor.

How had Little Boy done that? At their last encounter the cyborg had hardly been able to keep up with him. Now their reflexes appeared to be at least evenly matched. It was an irritating consideration - that Little Boy had been messing with Jean. That he had only_ let _the French Spriggan hit him.

Somewhere beyond his body's painful scolding, Jean was able to pick up the sound of air whistling past a large body. He was on his feet and out of the way before Little Boy landed. The ground where Jean had fallen was crushed beneath his heavy body. The French Spriggan took no time to consider the chilling possibility that the crunched stone floor could have been him. Instead he drew another deep breath and leaped into another attack.

--

As Yu rushed through the vacant halls he kept his ears attentive for any sounds of struggle. The only things he did manage to hear were his own footsteps, breaths, and some scurrying rodents. He knew it was silly of him - it wasn't like he'd be able to hear a battle or shouting until he came quite close, but it gave his mind something to do besides worry.

Despite being braced to hear something – anything – indicating a battle, nothing interesting reached Yu's ears even when he was only meters away from a doorway that was pouring light into the hall. From what he could see it was a large chamber, no doubt the temple's center. When at last he stood in the entrance a massive, empty room greeted him. Empty except for the stone pedestal and the center and that which rested on top of it.

After visually scanning the room, Yu ventured forth. Where was Jean? He'd caught glimpses of damaged area in the walls and floor – recent by the look of the moist dirt showing through and the lack of dust collected on the rubble. When a few droplets of blood sparked in the torch light, Yu quickened his pace towards the statue. It wasn't until he reached it that his question regarding Jean's whereabouts was answered.

"Jean!"

The French Spriggan was bound to the side of the pedestal opposite of where Yu had entered the chamber. Due to the shadows cast by and the odd shape of the pedestal, Yu had not been able to see the chain or Jean's arms bound around it. The chains holding him were heavy, and that factor along with his wounds explained well enough why he hadn't escaped.

"Keep it down," the blond huffed. "My head's killing me."

"Where's Little Boy? Why didn't he kill you?" Yu asked as he began to search for a lock to pick on the chains.

"Good to see you, too," Jean huffed. "I don't know where he is or why but..." The Frenchman's voice lowered to a deadly tone. "...I'm going to kill him."

"I can answer both of those."

The responding voice was neither of theirs, but one that they both knew better than they'd ever wanted to. Little boy was re-entering the room via the door frame directly across from Jean, his hands behind his back, and that combined with his oddly subdued but still twisted grin made him all the more menacing.

"To work at full power, the idol needs a blood sacrifice."


	10. Crossroads

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

Chapter Ten: Crossroads

Adam had managed to find a perch on the village's fence that was concealed by the branches of a massive tree. From this vantage point he could see clearly in the direction that Jean and Yu had gone in. Unfortunately, sight and instinct were all that were available for him to rely on. The scent of rain covered the potential smell of gunpowder that his enemies might have, and the downpour accompanied with the thunder took away the advantage of hearing them. At least the British Spriggan had sharp eyes. The slightest jiggle of tree leaves would captivate his full attention and focus until he was able to determine that it had only been an animal. Things carried on like this for a great deal of time and Adam began to wonder if Mino had been mistaken.

And then there was a rustling of leaves in branches that was of a nature completely different to any of those he had seen before. It was clumsy, and that of a being not entirely familiar with the jungle and its ways. Bringing the scope of his sniper rifle to his dark brown eye confirmed that an enemy solider was the cause of the slight disturbance in the greenery. In seconds that soldier paid for his mistake with a lump of lead from Adam's rifle to his chest. Other leaves rustled, giving Adam the knowledge of a few more enemy locations.

But these men had learned from their comrade's mistake. Adam managed to take out a couple more, but the others stilled themselves after relocating. The British Spriggan bit his lip and pressed himself close against the tree's trunk. They knew they were being watched now and they would be looking for him. A bullet whizzing by his face was enough indication that he needed to relocate.

Adam slipped around to the side of the tree facing away from the Machine Corps' path and leaped off the fence. His landing's sound was covered by a grumble of thunder, and the forest around him was momentarily illuminated by the tailing lightning. It was just enough for him to see the form of a man crouched only a few meters away. Unfortunately, it was also enough for the man to see him as a rain of bullets splinted the bark of the tree between them.

Peering around the corner would either mean a bullet through his brain or the discovery that his adversary had moved. With a grumble Adam darted out from the tree's cover, his Spriggan speed being just enough to avoid being shot as he rolled behind another tree. He managed to get off a bullet from his socom during this, and the scream of the shooter resulted.

Footsteps were filtering towards him now. His general location was widely known among the enemy, and he'd only managed to pick off three from an unknown number of soldiers. This would be an interesting battle.

--

"Blood sacrifice?" Yu repeated, his brow furrowing into a scowl. "We didn't find any information on that."

"Didn't find any, or weren't given any?" Little Boy's grin widened into a maniacal sneer. "My, is ARCAM keeping information from it's own soldiers now?" He began to walk forward, gaining speed with each step. Ominae stepped in between the cyborg and his comrade, knife held at ready.

The Japanese Spriggan and the American cyborg darted into immediate action. Jean cursed only being able to watch as two blades collided – Yu's knife and an impressive-looking dagger that Little Boy had been hiding behind his back. If Jean couldn't best Little Boy alone, there was no reason that Yu Ominae could, either. And yet... Yu had something that Jean did not. As the French Spriggan watched, he noticed Little boy making extra effort to avoid Ominae's orihalchon blade after receiving a decent slice in his arm from it. That was it. For all their researching, the Machine Corp had not found something that could withstand the special metal. At least, nothing that would be beneficial to build into a cyborg. If orihalchon could unnerve Little Boy, then surely Jean's bonds wouldn't stand a chance against it. But could he afford to distract Yu long enough for that?

"Ominae!" he dared to call, "your knife!" Jean jerked his head downward and to the side, trying to indicate his chains. Though it was brief, the Japanese Spriggan cast a glance at him along with an understanding nod. The battle moved closer to him and Jean braced himself, prepared to leap into action once his bonds were severed. But the blade that reached him first was not his comrade's.

Little Boy had managed to plant a foot firmly into Yu's chest and send him sailing into a wall, leaving yet another impressive dent. The rune-carved blade in the cyborg's hand slid deeply into the left side of Jean's chest. The Frenchman's body jerked violently against the pedestal, causing the statue to wobble and then finally fall.

"Jean!"

The blond Spriggan was barely aware of Yu Ominae calling his name. His rapidly fading consciousness was focused instead on the pain splitting through his body and the faint glow that appeared to be coming from the floor in front of him...

Ominae wasted no time in rising and charging at Little Boy before the cyborg could even withdraw the dagger from Jean's body. With speedy swing of his orihalchon knife, Yu had cleanly taken off one of Little Boy's arms. The American reeled back away from Jean, howling in pain. At last Little Boy drew one of his guns, firing furiously at the Japanese Spriggan. Despite Yu's hope to make sure that Jean was at least alive, the battle with Little Boy carried him away from his bleeding comrade.

--

Unfortunately, playing cat-and-mouse with the Machine Corp was not an option. Sure, some of them might follow him, but why wouldn't some of the others continue on to the village? If only there was a way for him to know how many there were. At least he knew that there were now five less than when he'd engaged them. Adam had managed to take out two more of his enemies while avoiding being shot for the second time on the mission.

"Surrender and we might not kill you!"

Well, that was impressive for the Machine Corp. Capture wasn't often an option with them. Adam smirked to himself from his new hiding place high in a tree. They were scared and trying to bring out an intimidation tactic of their own. Too bad for them. Neither surrender or death were on the British Spriggan's agenda.

There was another flash of lightning, casting a blue glow onto the jungle and four enemy faces. Since there was no gunfire following the temporary light, they must have missed him. After a deep breath, Adam fired into the branches, exactly where he remembered seeing the faces. Screams followed. Nine down. He released the breath, and gazed upwards. Past the tree's branches he could barely make out the angry, black clouds above.

And then there was another scream, but it wasn't that of a soldier. For terrifying seconds, Adam's heart stopped. That had been a woman. The Machine Corp had breached the fence.

--

Ominae was forced to put a hold on his battle with Little Boy when a blinding light flooded the chamber. Before shielding his eyes with his arm, Yu had noticed the light's source. The place that the statue had fallen. In front of Jean. Little Boy was screaming something in displeasure but Yu ignored that. What had happened to Jean?! The Japanese Spriggan bolted in the direction that he figured Jean was in. Again, he called his friend's name.

The glow began to subside until it centralized in only one location. It surrounded a single, standing figure that had replaced Jean's slumped form. The chains that had been holding Jean were in a heap on the floor, appearing to be melted in some areas. Blood was pooled on the floor in front of the pedestal with an obvious upset in the middle of the puddle. Something had landed there – the stone dog. But it and Jean were missing. Or were they?

When the last of the glow faded, only Jean remained. Or at least, Yu assumed that it was Jean... he wasn't quite looking like himself.


	11. Becoming The Island

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

Chapter Eleven: Becoming the Island

"Jean?"

The face, skin tone, and hair color certainly belonged to the French Spriggan that Yu associated them with, but many other features did not. His eyes, though still frosty in color had no pupil that he could see – they were entirely glowing blue. "Jean's" height and muscle mass seemed to have increased as well, and his hair had at least doubled in length. His nails had grown thick and claw-like. The statue was nowhere to be seen, but the runes that had been carved into its surface covered Jean's naked body in the color of his blood. The blade that had been embedded in his chest was gone.

Yu couldn't move. With his eyes as they were it was nearly impossible to tell where Jean was looking. At him? No, not at him. Jean began to walk, steadily and deliberately past Yu. His destination was Little Boy, who was squawking with displeasure about what had become of the stone dog. Yu craned his neck to see, and just in time to witness Little Boy charging towards the greatly altered Jean Jacques-Mondo. Common sense told Ominae to assist his comrade, but instinct insisted that he only observe. Instinct won.

"Where's the idol?!" the cyborg screeched, one mechanically enhanced hand snapping out and gripping Jean's muscular neck. Jean did not move for a moment, letting Little Boy try to choke him. And then the French Spriggan's arm snapped out planted itself atop the cyborg's head. The palm alone almost covered the scalp entirely. Before Yu could figure out what Jean was doing, Little boy began to scream and paw futilely at the straining, large hand. His cries were cut off with a sickening crunching sound followed by a pathetic gurgle. His body fell, the skull crushed in on itself, including the metal parts.

A voice came from the Frenchman's lips, but it was not his own. It sounded like many voices of varying ages, genders, and backgrounds.

"Your flesh is not fit to rot upon my body."

There was silence then, an eerie sort, and then rumbling. Yu tensed his legs, bracing himself, but Jean continued to stand rigid. And then, from every opening possible, they came. Insects of every size, shape, and color that Yu could imagine. They flocked in countless numbers to the remains of the cyborg's body. Ominae had expected to feel tiny feet crawling over him, but a glance at the floor revealed that every single creature that came near him stayed at least six inches from him on all sides. When he looked up at Jean, still as motionless as a rock, he witnessed the same phenomenon.

In seconds the half-metal corpse was covered with the insects, and mere seconds after that the little creatures dissipated, leaving only chunks of polished metal behind. As quickly as they had appeared, the bugs departed. As they left, Jean began to move again, this time towards Yu. The Japanese Spriggan gripped his knife's handle cautiously, but did not raise it to his comrade.

"Your friend is still here," the voices told him with Jean's mouth. "I am only using him for a short time. I have saved his life in exchange for his help."

"Who.. who are you?" Ominae ventured, finally finding his voice again.

"I am Cráneo. The island."

--

Adam's job was made more difficult with the increasing ferocity of the storm. The island was pissed and he honestly couldn't blame it. He'd failed to keep the Machine Corp soldiers out of the village and so wasn't exactly pleased himself. But surely there couldn't be many soldiers left. Jean and Yu had no doubt taken out most of them, and Adam had added another nine to the death toll.

The British Spriggan had followed the woman's scream to a hut very near to the village's surrounding fence. Thankful for his super-human abilities, Adam had made it to the hut's encircling deck with a single jump. The sound of his boots making contact with the wood drew the attention of a soldier inside the house. A family of three – a woman, man, and child, were huddled in the corner of their hut, their faces momentarily made visible by a flash of lighting. At least, Adam hoped that was the whole family. The glow hadn't lasted long enough for him to scan the home for a body.

It did, however, last long enough for Adam to see exactly where his enemy was and fire off a careful shot. It didn't kill the man – Adam had other plans. When the world was dark again he stepped carefully into the hut until he reached the groaning figure on the floor.

"Are you all alright?" he asked into the darkness.

"Yes," a man's voice answered, "We are fine."

"Good," Adam sighed, thoroughly relieved. His attention turned to the wounded Machine Corp soldier. "How many of you are there?" He hissed, gripping the front of the man's uniform. His captive didn't speak – only groaned. Adam, not in the mood for sympathy threw his captive to the floor and placed the barrel of his gun against his crotch. "How many?!" he demanded again.

"F-forty!" the man stuttered pathetically. "There were forty of us! I... I don't know how many there are now!"

"I hope you're telling the truth," Adam growled before rising and walking out of the hut, dragging the bleeding soldier behind him. "It just made your death a lot less painful." The British Spriggan claimed the man's life with a single shot to the head before pushing the body off the balcony. Another cry of distress filled his ears. Thirty-one more men. With a resigned sigh, Adam leaped off the balcony himself and followed the other shouts of distress.

--

"My children are in danger."

That was all that Cráneo in Jean's body had said before bolting past Yu and towards the temple's exit. It satisfied the Japanese Spriggan to see that Jean was still moving at full speed despite all the strange things that had befallen him in the past twenty minutes. Either Cráneo had adapted to him well, or enough of Jean's mind was left to push his body to the limits he knew it was capable of.

As the two Spriggan ran, Yu noticed the bushes around them rustling violently and the calls of several birds flying over-head. Animals of varying species would appear from the undergrowth and run along side them for as long as they could keep up, and even when they passed them the beasts continued in their determined journey towards the village.

Yu thought back to the temple, and how the insects had gathered to do Cráneo's bidding. It was a nice thought to have extra assistance, but how well would jaguars and tapirs fare against machine guns and grenades? The likely outcome wasn't a positive one.

While the rain had ceased and the thunder silenced, the heavy gray clouds continued to lay over the sky. Distressed cries were ringing out from within the village's fence. Some black smoke was rising to meet the cloud-cover. While Cráneo remained silent, Yu cursed fervently. Surely they could still save the village, but how many lives had been lost while they were arriving?

With an impressive leap (but one fitting of a Spriggan), Jean's body landed atop the fence. Yu followed, his brow furrowed in concern. The smoke he had seen was coming from a single hut – the large one nestled in the tree at the village's center. A tight lump formed in the Japanese Spriggan's throat. That was the chief's hut.

--

Adam had clasped a hand over his mouth to keep the smoke from invading his lungs. Under those conditions it was difficult to call Mino's name, but he couldn't leave the boy there. Even if the child was dead (which he shuddered to think of), Mino's body had to be returned to his father. At last the British Spriggan gave up on covering his face and instead used his hands to amplify his voice by cupping them on either side of his mouth.

"Mino!"

Internally, he cursed the Machine Corp for throwing fire-lit branches into this hut. Why did they insist upon harming these people?! They had done nothing to them! Was it just to get the attention of the Spriggan? If they hadn't come at all, would the people of Cráneo had been left alone?

But this was not the time for placing blame. Again, Adam called the child's name. This time a small cough reached his ears above the crackling flames and the commotion beyond the walls. He followed the sound of the coughing, but his steps grew more confident when he heard a small, weak voice calling back at him. Mino was huddled under a table, his knees held to his chest. Tears were running down his dark face, leaving clean streaks through the thick soot on his skin.

"Come on, Mino. We need to get out of here."

The child took Adam's offered hand.

"Where is Father?"

"Outside"

And that was all the more specific Adam could be. The chief had come down from the hut, and when Adam had seen him and asked about Mino's whereabouts, the older man had informed him that the boy had been told to stay in the hut where he would be safe. So much for that.

Adam did not want to believe his eyes when he turned to the doorway with Mino in his arms just in time to see a grenade bounce through the opening. Cursing heavily and hoping that Mino would not pick up on any of his words later, Adam dashed to the back window, slipped out of it, and then took a hopeful leap off of the balcony.

The explosion rumbled behind them. Heat licked at Adam's back as they descended. Debris flew at them, the wood chunks extending like horrible claws intent on piercing them. While Mino was held to Adam's front and was therefore not harmed, several pieces of the hut struck the British Spriggan, who grunted loudly just before landing shakily on the ground.

--

The state within the walls was pure chaos. Villagers were running and screaming, Machine Corp soldiers were opening fire on citizens and setting flame to various huts. Tropical birds had begun to dive and screech at the soldiers, and jaguars and boars were attacking them from the ground. Yu winced each time one of the animals was wounded by enemy bullets or worse – killed.

After firing several rounds into a group of soldiers, Yu searched the strange battle-field for his two comrades.

Adam was still alive an in motion, even after his traumatic landing from the exploding hut. Mino was in his arms and being held close to his chest as the British Spriggan both ran and fired at his enemies. It was likely that he was going to try and hide Mino from harm so that he could really get back into the battle, despite his recent injuries.

When his eyes fell upon Jean (well, Cráneo using Jean's body), the blond was still, his body tensed. The Machine Corp soldiers were unnerved by his glowing eyes and body, as well as his intimidating demeanor. A few tried to shoot him, but the bullets never reached him. They would stop mere inches away from actually hitting him and then fall uselessly to the ground. How was Cráneo doing that?

For this first time since his body had been "borrowed", Jean's face was showing some form of emotion. It was concern and sorrow, but most of all rage. The expression held as his eyes began to glow more fiercely and the seemingly constant current of air around him grew more violent, as was made evident by his long hair whipping around his face, shoulders, and torso. His thin, pale lips were moving, but no sound that Yu could detect was being emitted.

The animals, perhaps the only ones able to hear him, began to retreat (or at least those that were still living). A few of the soldiers were perplexed and when the villagers witnessed the beasts' reactions, they pulled back as well. Yu's brow furrowed. Did he need to run? Honestly, unless there was good reason (such as Adam's had been), a Spriggan did not run away.

While Yu was contemplating this (naturally while still firing and dodging return fire from the enemy), there was a brief pocket of time in which sound seemed to be sucked away. Though it lasted barely a second, it was impossible not to notice the sudden lack of noise from any of the guns, the lack of cries from the battle, and the absence of the fire eating away at the chief's hut. Not even the long-lasting thunder dared to strike. And then sound returned, brining only a mighty "WHOOSH" with it.

As it had before, a blinding glow came to surround Jean, but unlike before it was of brilliance and brought a mighty, invisible force with it like a powerful wind. This wave spread out wide and fast, knocking down soldiers, snapping the weak branches from trees, and bringing an intense heat with it. Yu found himself on the ground, facing way from Cráneo and covering his face with his arms. Though he couldn't confirm it, the faintest hint of screams reached his ears above the overwhelming sound.


	12. And After

DisturbNotTheBeast - ASprigganFanfiction

By KatWarrior

Rating: PG-13 for violence

Based mostly on the movie. The only manga element is the character Tia Flatt.

Spriggan (c) Minagawa and Takashige

Random characters are property of ECH (AKA KatWarrior). DO NOT USE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

Chapter Twelve: ...And After

There was no way for Yu to even guess at how long the heat licked over his body, but it must not have been too long for he was not a smoldering corpse by the time it subsided. The Japanese Spriggan first ventured to open his eyes and, since he could see again, slowly sat up. He examined himself, relieved to find that, aside from his clothing being singed, he'd only suffered minimal wounds. But what of the others? His black eyes surveyed the village-turned-battlefield.

The bodies of soldiers, villagers, and animals lay scattered around him. Those of the island's natural inhabitants had been there before the blast, as had a few of the soldiers'. But as Yu surveyed his surroundings, not one Machine Corp personnel moved. The only motion that did gain his attention was that of Adam shakily rising and bracing himself against a tree. As Yu watched the British Spriggan, he detected movement behind many other trees as the villagers timidly emerged from their hiding places.

Where was Jean?

As soon as Yu's eyes landed on the pale-skinned figure collapsed on the ground he was on his feet and bolting towards his comrade. When he reached him, Jean had not stirred but upon further inspection Yu detected a pulse. A strong one. In fact, Jean's expression was surprisingly peaceful in his unconscious state. It was as if he were merely sleeping. And he was Jean again. Of that Yu was certain. His hair's length had returned to normal, as had his fingernails. All of his scars of past battles were there, and one new one where Little Boy had stabbed him not too long ago. Behind Jean, Yu found the stone dog that they had come to Cráneo for in the first place.

"We'd better move him. He'll fall ill if he's on the wet ground for too long."

Yu turned from holding Jean to see the chief standing over him. Just beyond the old man he could see the smoldering remains of his cabin.

--

"So, what was it like?"

Yu asked this of Jean as he paced across the inside of the hut. The wooden floor boards creaked subtly with the pressure of his boots. The French Spriggan (now wearing animal skins provided by the villagers) didn't even look up from bandaging Adam's wounds.

"What was what like?" he answered at length, his voice partially muffled due to the end of the bandage strip being in his mouth. Adam grunted softly when Jean's fingers handled a particularly sensitive spot on his back.

Yu scowled.

"Being a god! What else?" The Japanese Spriggan stopped in his strides right in front of the blond and folded his arms over his chest.

"Be patient," Jean huffed. "I'm almost done."

Yu plopped down onto the floor next to Mino with a sulking expression, but waited silently. He cast a quick glance at the native boy beside him to see that he was calm. While Mino did look upon Adam with sympathy in his eyes, there was no hint of worry on the child's round face. Based on what Adam and the chief had explained to him and Jean about the boy, his demeanor gave Yu reason to be calm as well.

"Let's go."

Jean had stood and was sauntering towards the entrance of the hut that a generous family had allowed the three Spriggan to borrow. Yu rose wordlessly and followed him out the door. A look over his shoulder revealed Mino crawling up on Adam's bed to sit by him while he rested.

"I would not say that Cráneo is a 'god'," Jean began with his legs handing over the edge of the wooden deck. "I asked him if he was. He only laughed and said that he is a created being. He would tell me nothing further regarding that."

Yu was also letting his legs dangle over the man-made ledge, watching the people below as they tended the two pyres in the middle of their village. Upon one they were burning the bodies of the enemy soldiers. Upon the other they were (far more reverently) bidding farewell to the villagers and animals whose lives had been lost in the battle.

"But, what was it like kicking so much ass with his help?" Yu asked bluntly, trying to take his mind of the mixture of emotions on the ground below them.

"I had no control over it," Jean answered, somewhat flatly. "But I could see everything he did." He smirked. "I had a front-row seat to Little Boy's demise. Let us see if the Machine Corp can rebuild him _this_ time."

"If you didn't have any control, how did Adam and I survive that blast? Everyone who didn't run away got completely toasted, except for us."

"Just because I didn't have control does not mean that Cráneo didn't, either. He could tell that I was... well... concerned for you both. The last thing I can remember before the blast is him assuring me that justice would be delivered. And then... I woke up in this hut."

When Jean finished, he turned to look at his comrade. A wide, pleased smile was on Yu's face.

"What?" the Frenchman snorted, annoyed at the look he was receiving.

"You were worried about us."

Jean huffed and looked away, but Yu kept on grinning.

FIN


End file.
